Global Cold Chain News

Pilgrim’s two-life boxes

4th September 2012

Boston, Lincolnshire, UK: Pilgrim Foodservice has fitted the latest additions to its fleet with temperature-controlled bodies by Gray & Adams. Pilgrim typically runs its trucks for seven or eight years, then removes the insulated boxes and fits them to replacement chassis.

Bateman founded the family firm in 1979. It supplies some 4,000 frozen, chilled and ambient food lines, as well as cleaning and disposable products, to customers mainly in the east of England.

Pilgrim Foodservice has fitted the latest additions to its fleet with temperature-controlled bodies by Gray & Adams

“We used to shop around for our temperature-controlled vehicle bodywork, but I started dealing with Gray & Adams’ director Steve Rose 15 years ago and since then we’ve not bought from anyone else,” Bateman says. The Pilgrim Foodservice fleet is mainly Mercedes-Benz Atego 16-tonners but the new arrivals are 7.5-tonne Fuso Canter 7C15s.

The operator trialled a Canter demonstration unit last year and was impressed by the high payload and fuel efficiency. “The lightweight chassis complements Gray & Adams’ body perfectly, and allows us to carry a good half a tonne more than we could on a conventional 7.5-tonner. Fuel economy is also very impressive, and this helps us to further reduce our impact on the environment,” he says.

Pilgrim’s new Canters are from the latest model range launched last spring and all feature Duonic dual-clutch automatic transmissions, which have been a big hit with drivers.

The construction of Gray & Adams’ dual compartment – half frozen, half chilled – bodies also contribute to the high payloads. Fitted at the manufacturer’s Doncaster production facility, and equipped with Carrier Xarios 600 multi-temperature refrigeration units, they feature fixed bulkheads with wing doors. Triple back doors and

Planarctic strip curtains help to maintain temperature integrity during multi-drop delivery rounds.
Pilgrim Foodservice has also fitted its Canters with multiple, digitally-recording cameras used for driver training and to protect from bogus insurance claims.